This invention relates to solving problems in Xerography and more specifically in the toner cartridge remanufacturing industry. This includes copiers, laser printers and facsimile machines which will be referred to as imaging machines.
CANON has designed an all-in-one cartridge as seen in Pat. No. 4,975,744, issued Dec. 4, 1990 and assigned to CANON. Several companies have used these cartridges in laser printers, copy machines and facsimile machines, each with the varying printer engines and a different nameplate. Originally, these cartridges were designed to be "disposable". However, after the first all-in-one toner cartridge was introduced, it did not take long before laser cartridge remanufacturers such as myself began remanufacturing these cartridges. These "disposable" cartridges were designed to function for only one cartridge cycle without remanufacturing. The remanufacturers had found certain components that needed replacement on a regular basis. In 1990, the first aftermarket photoreceptor drum became available for use in remanufacturing the all-in-one cartridge of the "SX" engine variety, the most popular printer cartridge from around 1987 through 1993 at the time of this writing. When the long-life photoreceptor drum became available, the entire remanufacturing industry turned around and gained great strength and began a huge growth surge that still continues. In October 1993, HEWLETT-PACKARD, the largest seller of this printer engine using the all-in-one cartridge, entered the cartridge remanufacturing industry with the "Optiva" cartridge, further increasing the size as well as credibility of this relatively new industry. However, this relatively new industry grew from the all-in-one cartridge shortly after its debut. Before the introduction of the long-life drum, sometimes called the "superdrum" or "duradrum", the SX cartridge would last for around three cartridge remanufacturing cycles at best, since the actual useful life of the OEM drum was three cycles. However, the long-life drums got their names from the fact that they were designed to last for many remanufacturing cycles or recharges as they are sometimes called. Typically, the long life drum can last for ten or more such cycles, unlike the typical OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer) drum. With the additional developments of drum coatings, originally designed for OEM drums, the long-life drum may last for many additional cycles. Some coatings, in theory, were designed to be dissolved and removed from over the drum surface every 1--3 cycles, so the drum life of the long-life drum almost seems limitless.
However, with photoreceptor drums lasting for many cycles, other components of the cartridge have a tendency to require greater durability, a better solution, or a greater life. Also, as the success of these cartridges has skyrocketed, the demand is for cartrides with longer cycles, so component improvements are significant. Therefore, avoiding natural problems with prevention means must also be implemented for cartridges of longer life both in longer cycle times and greater number of cycles. One good example is the holding pin used in the LX, FX, and BX Canon engine cartridge. They may be seen under other nameplates, such as HP, QMS, Pitney-Bowes, Canon Fax and so on, however the engine is manufactured by Canon.
The holding pin is used to hold the main cartridge components together. The pin used by the OEM manufacturer has an even diameter all the way around. To remanufacture the cartridge, this pin must be removed. Pin removal is among the very first steps. Pin removal, however, has been an industry-wide problem. Pin removal is not always clean. The reason it is not always a "clean" operation is because a very small portion of the pin sticks out. Such a small portion protrudes for 2 possible reasons. First, if it sticks out too far, the cartridge will not fit into the imaging machine. So it must be pushed in to a certain depth such that a maximum protrusion is allowed. Some remanufacturers have developed depth setting devices to avoid pushing the pin in too far. Others have developed tools for pin pulling. For example wire cutters of the nipper variety, "dikes" and flat wire cutters have been modified on a grinding wheel to pull these pins. Even with the best pin depth setter, the pin must be pulled on the first cycle. In the first cycle, the pin is usually pushed in further than desired. When the pin is successfully removed, it is generally scratched with score marks from the pin-removal process. Once the outer surface of the pin is scored, it becomes that much more difficult to remove. The wire cutters have no smooth surface to grab on to. Oftentimes, on the first cartridge cycle, the pin is so difficult to remove that the plastic cartridge case must be slightly modified or cut up, drilled, or otherwise deformed in order to remove it. Oftentimes, the pin is accidently pushed in too far after the first recharge cycle. In modifying the cartridge, the cartridge loses its factory-new look and usually even looks sloppy and unprofessional as well. In any event, the pin makes recharging these cartridge types a project rather than a straightforward task. With the easily removable pin device of this invention, pin removal is very easy to do.